It’s highly likely that in the future, the availability and quality of herbal raw materials will continue to decline thanks to the negative effects of climate change.

Will climate change hurt the botanicals industry?       It already is.

Experts discuss the challenges and solutions you need to know about.

Switching to a plant-based softgel?

Jennifer Grebow is the editor-in-chief of 

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People who make and sell—or who simply love and buy—herbal supplements should be informed of the impact climate change is having on these products. Shifting weather patterns due to global warming are already hurting the agriculture of herbal and botanical ingredients. The problem will only get worse. 

It’s highly likely that in the future, the availability and quality of herbal raw materials will continue to decline thanks to the negative effects of climate change. During the 10

 Botanical Congress, “Botanicals & Planet Earth, 2022,” presented virtually by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA; Silver Spring, MD) this week, a panel of botanical industry stakeholders described the impacts they’re seeing in their line of work—and the steps they believe should be taken before the damage gets worse

During the first session of the Botanical Congress on August 16

 titled “Climate Change Is Real: Case Studies on How the Environment Is Impacting Your Herb Supply,” industry speakers provided real-world examples of specific herbal plants whose supply chains are already worsening due to climate change.

First, speaker Cindy Angerhofer, executive director of botanical research at beauty brand Aveda, outlined climate change’s effects on supplies of coconut oil, which Aveda and people around the world use not only as food but as an active ingredient in skincare and haircare products. An increase in severe storms caused by climate change is damaging coastal regions like India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, where 75% of global coconut oil supply originates, Angerhofer explained. “We’re seeing that the extreme weather events are affecting the main production areas for coconut,” she said.

Angerhofer described another supply risk Aveda is seeing with tamanu nuts from Vanuatu. The oil from these nuts is an important active ingredient for Aveda. Unfortunately, a growing number cyclones and flooding attributed to climate change is impairing supplies of tamanu nuts from Vanuatu. In this case, the disruption isn’t from damage caused to the tamanu trees; rather, it’s due to the “hits to infrastructure” in the region impeding the community’s ability to ship product out. In addition, Angerhofer explained, Aveda uses certified-organic tamanu oil. However, organic certifier “Eco-Cert can’t get in to certify the material organic because the borders [in Vanuatu] have been closed. So that has an impact, potential impact, on quality and claims around organic tamanu oil.”

Another speaker at the event, Nate Brennan, purchasing and sales manager at Pacific Botanicals (Grants Pass, OR), discussed the impacts of climate change on valerian.

One of the big challenges his company is experiencing on its botanical farm is extended periods of hot temperatures. “What we’ve been seeing for the past eight to 10 years or so, on top of the drought that we’ve been experiencing in the West, is a shift in our weather patterns,” Brennan said. “The intense heat of summer is showing up about a month earlier, causing the plants to go under more stress earlier on in their growing cycles.”

This hurts crop yield. Brennan painted a picture of the decline: “In 2018, our yield-per-acre harvest was 2100 lb/acre. In 2019, we had to revise that down to 1500 lb/acre. And in 2020, we had to revise that further down to 1300 lb/acre. So, as you can see, in two to three years we’ve lost about 800 lb/acre of dried material.” Pacific Botanicals isn’t alone. Brennan said other farms in the Northwest are “experiencing similar decreases in yields.”

In addition to growing its own crops, Pacific Botanicals works with collectors. These collectors are seeing environmental changes to plants like sea vegetables grown in regions like Canada. Said Brennan, “Our collectors have been having issues for the past few years with warming ocean temperatures around the area [and] increased hurricane activity and storm activity, which puts a lot of pressure on…sea vegetables that are collected. It limits the opportunities for our collectors to actually go out and harvest the seaweed.”

The event’s third speaker, Rachel Doty, supplier verification and supply chain manager for Meridian Trading Co. (Boulder, CO), discussed climate change’s impact on “shifting weather patterns and predictability” that is challenging her company’s ability to source chamomile. Meridian Trading specializes in supplying herbal ingredients for the tea industry.

“Not only are we seeing bigger, stronger, and more frequent storms…we’re seeing a lot of unusually hot or cold spells out of season,” Doty said. “We’re seeing drought during what should typically be the rainy season. Essentially, the patterns we’ve become used to are no longer reliable.”

Meridian Trading gets its chamomile plants mainly from Mexico and Egypt. In Mexico, Doty reported, “the primary issue we’re seeing is that we’re receiving less rain in the early times of the season, while the crop is establishing, and then we’re seeing more rain after harvest when we’re trying to dry that crop down.”

Due to less rain during the growing season, the plants have become smaller, impacting yield. Not only that, in Mexico farmers typically pile harvested crop in the fields to dry. But longer rainy periods cause safety risks. “From a microbiological standpoint, it is less than ideal to be getting the crop wet and then dry, and then wet and then dry [again],” she explained.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, where Meridian also sources chamomile, longer hot spells are hurting crops. “The chamomile doesn’t like [high heat], and it’s been causing a lot of stunted plants,” Doty said. She noted that yields have declined 40% in some years.

The last speaker, Jan von Enden, head of group sustainability, supply chains, at botanicals supplier MartinBauer Group (Germany), talked about challenges his company is experiencing with lemon verbena.

Farmers are having difficulty growing lemon verbena due to climate and weather changes. “It has been so dry and so hot that the plant actually burns,” von Enden said. “They have to replant the entire plants.”

Given these obstacles, farmers are now prioritizing planting commodity crops like corn over struggling specialty plants like lemon verbena. “It’s a very clear livelihood strategy,” von Enden explained. “They now put their families first. They need to produce food because they cannot have any income from verbena anymore.” This further shortens available supply of the ingredient.

He added that climate change is causing another problem: “Now, with more dry weather, you get totally new pests and diseases attacking your crop.”

All this means that some of the botanical ingredients the dietary supplement and other industries rely on will become harder to obtain. Ingredient suppliers might no longer be able to assure CPG clients of uninterrupted supply, or the same quality of supply.

You can expect ingredient prices to increase, too. For instance, said Brennan, even as the valerian crops decrease due to climate change, “At the same time, valerian and these kinds of de-stressor herbs are becoming more and more popular—which is putting a higher demand on the limited crops that are actually being produced. This forces the prices to be raised because there’s higher demand on the crops.”

Unlike synthesized vitamins or other ingredients whose production can increase as needed, herbals are limited by what’s grown in a growing season. Said Brennan about agricultural crops, especially cultivated ones, “You can’t just plant more in, say, August, if you’re having a bad year, because there is only a limited planting window for the crops to be put into the ground. If you miss that, you have to move production on to the next year. So, if a finished-product maker is looking to come up with a new product in August, they may have a very difficult time finding valerian root or other crops because they’re not in line with the growing cycle and the harvest cycles at the time.”

These risks make it harder for everyone in business to plan. It’s happening already, Brennan said.

“Some of the consequences that we see for the diminished yields [is that] we’re selling out of material faster. So what I think would be a year’s supply of material—we’re only getting in a third of the year’s supply. What that does is, we have to kind of dole out our inventory to as many customers as we can because we do have historical commitments for our customers, and so we want to be sure we’ll be able to spread the material around as much as possible. Unfortunately, that has negative impacts down the line for the finished-product makers.”

Ingredient quality can also suffer. Due to climate change, the botanical ingredients a finished-product manufacturer ends up with in the future might be of a very different quality or character than what it’s used to getting today.

For instance, said Doty, the impact of climate change on the chamomile grown in Mexico—including the longer rains during drying season—is having one very crucial consequence. 

“More importantly, or just as importantly, for tea and quality, it’s impacting flavor,” she said. “The Mexican chamomile is treasured for its floral sweet flavors. With what’s going on now, and during the harvest time, we’re getting more earthy flavors. The chamomile pollen that comes of—this is a major component of tea by cup standards—is a lot darker, so the liquid in the cup is also a lot darker, which is not ideal because one of the main things about chamomile is it has this golden, beautiful color in the cup. So we’re having some problems with that as a major issue in Mexico right now.”

Given suffering valerian crops in Oregon, Brennan said that Pacific Botanicals has looked into sourcing valerian from overseas. But, he explained, “For us, it’s difficult because the constituencies are a bit different. The smell and the taste are unique to the Northwest here because of the soils and the air, so the material coming in from overseas just has a different flavor profile, a different smell profile—and we have difficult issues with passing my quality-control team.”

Brennan also outlined an important risk likely to arise due to trouble in the botanical supply chain caused by climate change—namely, that it “creates more opportunities for adulterants to enter the marketplace because more people are looking for that valerian for the smaller amount of material that’s actually being produced, which creates opportunities for people to create shortcuts and offer adulterants into the system.”

While climate change and its effects can be an “inconvenience” for most of us, “for farmers, this can be a big problem and detrimental to their livelihood,” Doty said.

As MartinBauer’s von Enden pointed out earlier, farmers might turn their attention away from growing specialty crops in lieu of growing commodity crops—meaning that in the future, fewer farmers will grow the specialty plants that industries like the supplements and natural product industries need.

Said Meridian Trading’s Doty: “Something really important to keep in mind is that these products we’re talking about—these crops, these botanicals and herbs—these are specialty crops. As opposed to commodity crops like wheat or corn, specialty crops are grown on a much smaller scale and aren’t generally supported by decades of government or academic research to improve crop success. All crops, of course, are dependent on the weather and can be impacted by an unusually dry year or a particularly wet year, but specialty crops are, by their nature, much more sensitive and thus more problematic in a shifting climate.”

While companies who source botanicals from these farmers are doing what they can to help the farmers, that help is fragmented and also hampered by the fact that many of these farms are small operations without a lot of capital available to invest in improvements that could otherwise help them.

Suffering crops also have another impact on the farmers themselves. “When you know that [a] crop is going to yield half of what it used to, it means that in order to get that historical volume again, you’ll need to plant twice as much, digging up more of your fields,” Brennan explained. “We’re very dedicated to our soil health, and so what that does is it puts more fields into production rather than cover cropping, further uses the soils more, and also promotes a kind of loss of morale for our farm team because they’re having to deal with problematic crops throughout the season. No one likes to take care of a troubled crop throughout the year. Everyone wants to see bumper crops if they can.”

If your company relies on the botanical supply chain, what should you do to mitigate the risks caused by climate change?

First, you need to anticipate the likelihood that climate change 

 eventually harm your supply chain if it hasn’t already begun doing so.

Active preemptively is key. In the case of Aveda, when the company realized early on the extreme risk climate change posed to regions such as Asia Pacific where it sources its coconut oil, the company joined the corporate collaborative Action for Sustainable Derivatives (ASD). “We weren’t having any significant gaps in obtaining coconut at that time, but the risks seemed very likely, and since you can’t improve the situation without knowing what’s going on on the ground, goal number one of ASD was to evaluate environmental and social issues related to coconut, and the focus was on the Philippines,” said Angerhofer.

Together, ASD is working with NGOs and entities like the World Bank and the World Wildlife Fund to devise actionable steps to help farmers deal with the fallout from climate change. This includes “improving the incomes and livelihoods of small holder farmers who are the backbone of the industry,” said Angerhofer, including arming these farmers with good agricultural practices and resources.

Supporting the farmers is, simply, critical. These are the people the industry will continue to rely on for raw material. “So really, it’s about working closely with the farmers and making sure they have our support even when the [harvest] year is not so good,” said Doty. Another solution her company is looking at is helping farmers invest in dehydration equipment. However, she pointed out, this “is not an inexpensive venture, and [chamomile] is not exactly a high-profitability crop, so we’re having some challenges with that.”

MartinBauer is also helping the farmers it works with by supporting farming communities. “We really need to look after the community health as well,” said von Enden. “Only if we have thriving communities, healthy communities, to be able to grow our crops will we be successful in the long term.” He added that it “is so important to understand what the livelihood strategies of farmers are when you want to secure your supply chains.”

Get information directly from the farmers and wild collectors as well, Doty advised. “Talk to them about what they need, because for me, the biggest issue is how do we continue to incentivize farmers to keep growing these specialty crops as the problems and the risks continue to increase. We rely upon them for our products to create our manufactured goods, so what do they need to keep on making that happen for us?”

Companies also need their own Plan B to deal with supply disruptions. Part of this means diversifying your supply chain as much as possible, not putting all your supply eggs in one basket, Doty said.

“One of the main things when we talk about risk in the supply chain, how we deal with it, is by having multiple origins,” said Doty. She added: “Recognize that this is not always possible and requires a certain degree of flexibility with the supply, but you still need to try to figure out how to be more open and flexible in order to mitigate the risks potentially happening.”

Closely evaluate your supply needs, Brennan advised. “Everyone needs to look at inventories a little closer, realize some items are just going to be more and more challenging into the future, and possibly look for alternatives for the products as well as developing new farms and new climates around the world,” he said.

“The first thing from a strategic standpoint is to understand your products,” Doty added. “What are you buying? What impacts them? What impacts the communities that are growing them?...If you don’t know, then you won’t know what you need to do to address any problems, or you won’t know what the potential problems might be.”

She concluded: “If your business relies upon plants, it’s important to consider the impact of climate change as a risk to your business. We’re seeing this risk increase as time goes by, and we really encourage you to assess your supply chains to understand which of your botanicals are most at risk. Work closely with your suppliers to help mitigate those risks and find solutions, such as diversifying your supply base into multiple origins.”

The bottom line is that all botanicals stakeholders need to work together to address the impacts of climate change to ensure the industry’s survival. Farmers and companies should be talking to each other to share best practices, expertise, and to plan “what’s going to be needed in order to help adapt to these changing climates that everyone’s facing,” Brennan said.

“It’s really important to look at climate change as a sector problem—and it’s really something pre-competitive,” said von Enden. “If we want to be active and continue our work in the long term in the botanicals sector, the herbal sector, we really need to work together, put our heads together, put intelligence together, and find solutions on adapting to these big challenges we are all facing.”

Articles

At AHPA’s 10th Botanical Congress, botanical industry stakeholders described the impacts of climate change on the botanical and herbal supply chain.

Will climate change hurt the botanicals industry? It already is.

There are only three states in the United States that grow dragon fruit commercially: California, Florida, and Hawaii.

https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/dragon-fruit

Fun fact! There are only three states in the United States that grow dragon fruit commercially: California, Florida, and Hawaii.

Dragon fruit in the U.S.

Alissa Marrapodi is Industry Insights Contributor, Custom Content Editor, MJH Life Sciences.

Earth Mama Organics (Clackamas, OR) announced that it is now Certified Plastic Neutral after partnering with rePurpose Global which calculates all the plastic used in Earth Mama’s products and operations, who then funds the ethical recovery and processing of an equal amount of plastic waste from its environment. The partnership has therefore resulted in the removal of over 88,000 lbs of plastic waste. RePurpose Global focuses on removing “low-value” plastic waste in its calculations, like candy bar wrappers, snack bags, etc.

“We have seen the devastating amount of waste generated every day by our industry, so to us, the urgency of this crisis was impossible to ignore. Our planet needs us, and Earth Mama is taking strong strides to do our part,” said Earth Mama founder and CEO Melinda Olson in a press release. “Our mission has always been to offer our customers safe and effective products while creating a deep impact on society. We truly believe in the power of brands to affect long-lasting change.”

Earth Mama’s Plastic Neutral funds help to support Project Sada Shakti in Bangalore, India. The project not only recovers an equal amount of plastic waste from the local landscape, but it also provides waste workers with a livable wage and a dignified working environment.

“Environmental protection is at the core of Earth Mama Organics.It’s so refreshing to see them push the boundaries on tackling the plastic waste problem,” said Aditya Siroya, co-founder and chief impact officer of rePurpose Global. “Forward-thinking brands like Earth Mama are the need of the hour. We hope this pioneering move pushes more brands to take responsibility for their own plastic waste.”

rePurpose Global calculated all the plastic used in Earth Mama’s products and operations, who then funds the ethical recovery and processing of an equal amount of plastic waste from its environment. 

Earth Mama Organics partners with rePurpose Global to become plastic neutral  

The Vitamin Shoppe (Secaucus, NJ) partnered with Follett Higher Education Group, the largest campus store operator in North America, to bring its health and wellness solutions to campus bookstore locations throughout the country. Starting in August 2022at select Follett stores, The Vitamin Shoppe will offer students a selection of foundational health vitamins and supplements, sports nutrition products, and academic-performance products that support sleep, mood, and brain health. Available brands at launch include The Vitamin Shoppe, BodyTech, BodyTech Elite, plnt and TrueYou.

“We are thrilled to partner with the premier operator of college bookstores to bring some of our most popular and effective products to students around the country, supporting their wellness needs during an important period of growth and development in their lives,” said Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, in a press release. “We look forward to making our vitamins, minerals, proteins, collagens, immunity support, and other high-demand categories easily accessible to students on campuses and in college towns across the country. This is a key demographic that is increasingly focused on holistic health concerns and Follett is the ideal partner for us to provide them with the quality, innovation and expertise that The Vitamin Shoppe is known for.”

“At Follett, we are actively working to enhance the product mix in our campus stores,” explained Emmanuel Kolady, CEO of Follett Higher Education, in a press release. “We believe this is an exciting opportunity to partner with The Vitamin Shoppe, a marquee brand in the health and wellness space, and this category has increased relevance today amongst the student population. We know when students feel their best, it can translate to success in the classroom. So, we are excited to partner with The Vitamin Shoppe to further enhance our goal of improving student outcomes by conveniently offering first-class health and wellness products.”

The Vitamin Shoppe partnered with Follett Higher Education Group, the largest campus store operator in North America, to bring its health and wellness solutions to campus bookstore locations throughout the country.

The Vitamin Shoppe partners with Follett to offer health & wellness supplements on college campuses

Michael Baumann, PhD, studied chemistry at the Clausthal University of Technology (Germany) and holds a doctorate from the Institute for Technical Chemistry. He started his career at the Dow Chemical Company as an R&D leader in 2001, exploring and advancing polymer development for various industrial and pharmaceutical applications. In 2015, Baumann became pharma field marketing manager, EMEA, for Dow Pharma Solutions. Following the 2018-2019 integration of Dow Pharma Solutions into DuPont Nutrition & Bioscience, he became global strategic marketing manager of immediate-release pharmaceutical dosage forms at DuPont. Following the merger of DuPont N&B with IFF, he now serves as the global strategic marketing manager for dietary supplements within the Pharma Solutions division of IFF.

Benjamin Roscoe studied biomedical engineering at Penn State University and holds a Master of Science from Drexel University. He started his career at FMC Health & Nutrition in 2011, helping customers develop new products in dietary supplements and pharmaceutical applications. In 2016, Roscoe became research leader for dietary supplements with a specialty in softgels, focusing on technical service and new product development. When FMC H&N merged with DuPont N&B in 2018, he became application development and innovation manager at DuPont. Following the merger of DuPont N&B with IFF, he now serves as the application development and innovation manager for dietary supplements and global subject matter expert in softgels within the Pharma Solutions division at IFF.

Consumers of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplement products experience a plethora of product formats today, including hard capsules, softgels, gummies, tablets, and others. Softgels, particularly, enjoy tremendous popularity in both the OTC and dietary supplement markets as consumers perceive them as an easy-to-swallow and fast-acting format

. Available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors, softgels enable label claims such as “sugar-free,” “vegan,” and others, thus offering numerous opportunities for consumer-friendly product formulations and brand differentiation.

More formulators are turning to softgels as well. Not only do they enable the formulation of liquids in a solid dosage form and improve the bioavailability of pharmaceutical or nutraceutical ingredients, but they also allow for tailored release functionality, including immediate, controlled, or delayed release.

The global softgel market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.81%, from $3.76 billion in 2022 to $5.48 billion in 2027

. As consumers seek more plant-based alternatives, the market is shifting away from gelatin- to plant-based capsules. We see it happening as a higher number of new dietary supplement capsules with plant-based claims enter the market: The number of capsules making plant-based claims grew at a CAGR of 34% over the past five years. In contrast, the number of all new capsules grew at a CAGR of 14%.

Traditionally, gelatin is a preferred shell-forming material enabling high-quality softgels and efficient manufacturing processes. However, gelatin can interact with the fill material, leading to crosslinking, which can subsequently impact the functionality of the softgel and its storage stability.

The low melting point of gelatin represents another limitation—for instance, when dealing with high-viscous fill formulations. Those fillings often need to be heated to achieve a manageable viscosity, but the temperature must be below 35°C to avoid problems with the gelatin shell and sealing.

Gelatin-free shell formers not only address consumers’ growing preference for plant-based OTC and dietary supplement products but also help overcome gelatin’s formulation and shelf-life challenges. Several gelatin-free shell formers are now on the market for use in softgels. Those include hydrocolloids sourced from marine plants like red and brown seaweed, agricultural plants like starches and pectin, and those made via fermentation, like gellan gum.

During a recent webinar, we asked manufacturers what they perceive to be the most prominent challenges when formulating plant-based softgels. From this discussion, we learned that manufacturers perceive cost-in-use, sealing strength, encapsulation speed, and consistent functionality to be common challenges.

Softgel shells comprise a primary film former (sometimes combined with a secondary film former), plasticizer, water, and other additives, like colorants. Gelatin has traditionally been employed to produce softgels due to its optimal film mechanical properties, but modern plant-based alternatives offer comparable performance and are, therefore, gaining popularity.

While starch, as the sole film former in the softgel shell, has the advantage of being a relatively inexpensive raw material, it does not provide the required mechanical properties to withstand the softgel filling and sealing processes.

To overcome the limitations of starch-only softgel shells, commercial formulations commonly contain a secondary film former, like carrageenan or other plant-based gums. When starch use is favored above all else, lower ratios of secondary film formers often do not provide the sufficient gel-film strength and elasticity to form consistent, quality softgels. Ultimately, this can lead to challenges as well as slow manufacturing speeds, lower yields, and significantly increase the final cost.

To form premium, high-quality plant-based softgels, the gel-film system must achieve an appropriate strength and elasticity to tolerate capsule filling, as well as melt and fuse together during sealing. It can be a challenge to find the right shell former, or combination of them, to ensure optimal performance and production efficiency, and to stand out in a crowded vegetarian softgel market.

Softgel manufacturers may choose from a variety of different starch types, including tapioca starch and different carrageenan materials. However, if the combination of film formers is not optimized, then less-than-ideal functionality may lead to limited manufacturing efficiency, such as fill capacities less than 70%, 2 RPM output, and quality issues, like leakers.

Manufacturers have found success with carrageenan-based systems mixed with modified starch. These systems have been in use at a commercial scale since the late 1990s, presenting good compromise between cost and quality—depending on the carrageenan and starch type used. Originally, modified corn starch was preferred for the softgel shell. However, in recent years, pea starch has gained popularity due to non-GMO claims.

Systems comprising specialized carrageenan offer improved strength and elasticity, specifically for the soft capsule application. In combination with suitable starches, this may lead to quality and performance attributes matching those of gelatin. For example, innovative plant-based softgel technology, like those derived from seaweed, allow manufacturers to form high-quality seals at high-fill capacities (up to 100%), even at fast manufacturing speeds (5+ RPM).

Plant-based softgels utilizing gellan gum—either as the primary shell former or in combination with starch—are relatively new to the market and can reportedly be used to produce quality softgels. While this is a promising indication, commercial-scale viability is still unproven, and gellan gums carry a high raw-material cost, which may be limiting for some manufacturers.

When it comes to strategies for switching from gelatin to plant-based softgels, the above considerations just scratch the surface. Therefore, it is critical that manufacturers partner with a provider of technology and shell-forming material that has expertise in formulating plant-based softgels. By collaborating with a high-quality supplier, manufacturers may find assistance with identifying the right ingredients for their formulations, as well as navigating the manufacturing and regulatory challenges that may arise when switching from gelatin to plant-based softgels.

 studied chemistry at the Clausthal University of Technology (Germany) and holds a doctorate from the Institute for Technical Chemistry. He started his career at the Dow Chemical Company as an R&D leader in 2001, exploring and advancing polymer development for various industrial and pharmaceutical applications. In 2015, Baumann became pharma field marketing manager, EMEA, for Dow Pharma Solutions. Following the 2018-2019 integration of Dow Pharma Solutions into DuPont Nutrition & Bioscience, he became global strategic marketing manager of immediate-release pharmaceutical dosage forms at DuPont. Following the merger of DuPont N&B with IFF, he now serves as the global strategic marketing manager for dietary supplements within the Pharma Solutions division of IFF.

 studied biomedical engineering at Penn State University and holds a Master of Science from Drexel University. He started his career at FMC Health & Nutrition in 2011, helping customers develop new products in dietary supplements and pharmaceutical applications. In 2016, Roscoe became research leader for dietary supplements with a specialty in softgels, focusing on technical service and new product development. When FMC H&N merged with DuPont N&B in 2018, he became application development and innovation manager at DuPont. Following the merger of DuPont N&B with IFF, he now serves as the application development and innovation manager for dietary supplements and global subject matter expert in softgels within the Pharma Solutions division at IFF.

Softgels: Consumer perceptions and market impact relative to other oral dosage forms

, vol. 17, no. 5 (September-October 2000): 213-221

Softgel Capsules Market Research Report by Type (Gelatin and Non-Animal), Application, Distribution Channel, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) – Global Forecast to 2027 – Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD): CPG and FMC

Physical and mechanical properties of plant-derived soft-shell capsules formulated with hydroxypropyl starches from different botanical sources

Gelatin and non-gelatin capsule dosage forms

Omega-3 concentrates supplier GC Rieber VivoMega (Kristiansund, Norway) reports that since 2016, it increased the recycling of its side-stream product by 165%. The company’s starting material is repurposed as side-stream for the fish meal industry, as well as for energy. For the past decade, the company has worked with large fish-meal producers to “improve the quality of something that was once considered ‘waste’ into high-value input for fish oil refining and concentration,” the company said in a press release.

“By design, the production of omega-3 concentrates results in side-streams that historically have been sold and burned as energy,” the company explained. “GC Rieber VivoMega has worked intensively to find additional ways to incorporate these large volumes back into the food chain and reduce and repurpose the amounts sold for energy.”

Since 2016, the percentage of volume the company turns into nutrient-rich feed increased by 165%. Most of the company’s side-stream is sold domestically—and since 2016, the company increased the side-stream sold domestically by 10-fold. Side-stream is shipped directly from the company’s port, reducing the number of diesel trucks used. “This means more of its unused products are being put back into the food chain, all while reducing transport trucks from the roads,” the company stated.

Also, added CEO Jan Roger Bjerkestrand, “Not all side-streams are sold externally. GC Rieber VivoMega is also repurposing the biofuel for internal consumption, reducing the need for external energy sources.” After that, he said, “Any remaining biofuel is then used by our local aquaculture and food production industries.”

The company remains committed to responsible environmental and societal practices, from initial catch to the finished product. “Going forward, the company has a clear goal of shedding additional light on the great work that has been and will be done to provide high-quality omega-3s, all while protecting our environment,” Bjerkestrand said.

He added: “As a significant consumer of crude fish oil, GC Rieber VivoMega must utilize and manage as much as possible of this high-quality oil…Given the nature of our business and the landscape we operate in, it is essential for us to understand and acknowledge our global corporate and social responsibility.”

The company continues to minimize waste with its sustainability practices that span initial catch to finished product.

Omega-3 supplier GC Rieber VivoMega increases recycling of its side-stream product by 165%

Chris Woods. Photo from Gold Coast Ingredients.

Flavors supplier Gold Coast Ingredients (Santa Fe Springs, CA) has added Chris Woods to its sales team. Woods will focus on developing business with global and domestic partners, helping companies identify new opportunities to grow their businesses.

His background includes 18 years at Griffith Foods where he led the company’s U.S. business, helping the team develop customized products for clients. He also worked at Coca Cola USA Fountain.

Chris Woods will focus on developing business with the company’s global and domestic partners.

Flavors supplier Gold Coast Ingredients adds to sales team

Grain Processing Corporation (Muscatine, IA; GPC) launched Fybrin RS resistant starch, a corn-based resistant starch that is an inherently gluten-free dietary fiber ingredient with minimal calories. The new ingredient can boost nutritional value by upping fiber content, making it a great ingredient for pasta, baked goods, tortillas, pizza crust, beverages and bars. It has a bland flavor, lowwater-holding capacity, and smooth mouthfeel.

“At GPC we’ve always delivered consistently high-quality, functional ingredients to the food industry,” Jimmy Kent, senior vice president of sales, said in a press release. “The launch of FYBRIN RS is no different. Our customers can expect the same exceptional service and technical expertise they’ve come to rely on from us.”

The new ingredient can boost nutritional value by upping fiber content, making it a great ingredient for pasta, baked goods, tortillas, pizza crust, beverages and bars.

 GPC launches Fybrin RS corn-based resistant starch 

Products that use AgriFiber Solutions’ (Mundelein, IL) portfolio of insoluble fiber ingredients can now carry the Upcycled Certified claim on its labels. These fibers are clean label alternatives to carrageenan, often use by manufacturers of meat and dairy alternatives to maintain desirable texture and mouthfeel in their products.

“Sustainability is behind so many consumers’ decisions to follow vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian lifestyles,” said AgriFiber CEO Jonathan Kahn in a press release. “We know that upcycling is one of the best ways that the food industry can reduce our impact on the planet, and that’s why we built our entire company around that movement.”

The Upcycled Food Association launched the certification in late 2021, and estimates that its certification has helped prevent more than 703 million pounds of food waste annually. Agrifiber is one of 17 companies whose ingredients carry the certification.

“So many organizations deceptively persuade the public that their products and policies are environmentally friendly,” Kahn said. “But when you hold a magnifying glass up to some of these companies, you often see that it’s just marketing. In this era of ‘greenwashing,’ Upcycled Certified ingredients are an opportunity for brands to tell a genuine, transparent, and validated sustainability story that consumers can trust.”

These fibers are clean label alternatives to carrageenan, often use by manufacturers of meat and dairy alternatives to maintain desirable texture and mouthfeel in their products.

AgriFiber’s carrageenan alternatives are now Upcycled Certified

Kappa Bioscience (Oslo, Norway) has appointed John E. Repine, MD as the newest member of its “Blue Ribbon” Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, which was formed under the guidance of Bernie Landes MBA, president of Nutritional Products Consulting Group LLP, who is now executive director of the board. According to Kappa, the appointment solidifies its strategic commitment to support and expand the scientific knowledge base of vitamin K2.

In addition to supporting the board, Repine will continue his duties s the Waring Endowed Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Surgery, the Webb-Waring Center Director, and the Associate Dean for Student Advocacy at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. He brings a wealth of scientific research and expertise to the board, specializing in inflammation, oxidative stress, neutrophils, macrophages, electromagnetic fields, and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

“I'm honored to have been invited to join this esteemed group of top-class experts,” said Repine. “I look forward to supporting the Kappa Bioscience team to expand awareness of vitamin K2 and uncover the full scope of health benefits it can offer."

“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Repine as the newest member of our Advisory Board,” said Egil Greve, Kappa Bioscience president and CEO, in a press release. “With his extensive scientific expertise, combined with our highly qualified internal science team, we aim to expand the scope of scientific research into K2 and raise further awareness about its role in maintaining health.”

Repine joins a lineup of world authorities in multiple relevant scientific fields, including cardiology, immunology, kinesiology, and molecular nutrition, which was formed to set a new standard for the scientific support and advancement of emerging nutritional compounds. Other founding members of the Board include: Dr. John Ivy, the Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin; Dr. Susanne Talcott, Associate Professor Texas A&M University, Food Science & Technology, Molecular Researcher; and Dr. Nathan Wong, cardiovascular epidemiologist, a specialist in preventive cardiology, and Professor and Director, Heart Disease Prevention Program, Division of Cardiology at the University of California.

Kappa Bioscience (Oslo, Norway) has appointed John E. Repine, MD as the newest member of its “Blue Ribbon” Scientific and Medical Advisory Board.

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